Specie's Page                                               Hooded Merganser - USA and Canada

Hooded Merganser:   In the UK  as a vagrant, or more likely as an escapee from a private collection, or a conservation breedong breeding

Habitat: This  duck is as you would expect a wetland species, found in ponds, pools, lakes and rivers. These birds over winter in the more frost free states of the USA. In the summer months they can be found on the eastern seabord, or close to it, stretching from the gulf in the south, all the way north to just into Canada. They can also be found from the states of Washington and British Columbia north to Idaho all the year around.

 Breeding: This duck is monogomous, and they nest in tree cavitiesm or nest boxes. Seven to fifteen off whitish eggs are laid, the female incubates them. Hatching is synchronous, and the chicks all leave the nest about twenty four hours after hatching.

Comment: The male and female are sexually dimorphic, quite different in appearance. Pictured on this page are the two sexes together on one picture.